‘He just walked in one day'

Published: Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 18, 2013 at 1:35 p.m.

On the day that I read of James W. Benison's death, I replayed the CD his wife, Java, had supplied the Heritage Museum five years earlier.

She shares her love for her husband and his service to his country during World War II. It couldn't be told better.

The fragments of memory paint a picture of the time. The obituary gives us the facts. His wife, Java, gives us the heart.

"Jimmy" Benison grew up in the Deep Gap area of Polk and Henderson counties. He was the son of Ezekial and Minnie Benison.

He was married for more than 71 years to Java Stepp Benison. They were parents to four sons and one daughter.

In 1939, Jimmy and Java graduated from Dana School. They married in February 1941. For a while, he worked at Chipman-LaCrosse Hosiery Mill. He served in the Navy during WWII in the Pacific Theater.

Java Benison, "Jevvie" as some family members call her, remembers:

"Everybody knew the war was going on. People became closer, praying it would get over — and it did. We have TV now and pictures. All we had then was radio.

"Big Jimmie" was in six major engagements in the Pacific. I can picture it as clearly as if it were happening now. His mother was in the dining room on Thanksgiving Day when she happened to hear on the radio that the USS Sumter had arrived on the coast of the state of Washington.

"You didn't really get a lot of news on the radio. When he was discharged in Washington state, he came home on a train. It was a long time before Jimmie Jr. knew who he was. It was not an easy time.

"He left on a train from East Flat Rock — and he came home on one. He just walked in one day.

"My friend and I would wait for the train in East Flat Rock for the mail. Sometimes you would get two or three letters at one time; then a whole month would go by with nothing.

"We would share our stories — ‘Little Jimmie wants a bicycle for Christmas. I have a friend in Asheville who has a used one … says she'll give it to me. He has that little wagon that his Dada (grandfather) pulls him in … takes him to get his goat milk. What a sight they make — ‘Go, Dada, go!'

"He loved his wagon and tricycle.

"Big Jimmy was gone three years. They were rough times — no cars and no job. Allotment money kept me going. There was rationing of what you bought and how much you could get.

"I lived with his mother and dad, road the bus to go grocery shopping (not much shopping, mostly looking), ordered from Sears Roebuck. I tried to grow some in the half acre of land in the back of the house.

"Not much time for shopping … did the washing on a scrub board. Dinner table talk was about the war.

"The government censored letters. My name happens to be Java. Jimmy communicated the invasions by mentioning, in his letters, the island — and I could follow. ‘I'll be near you tomorrow … or in a few days,' he would write. I knew then he was in the islands.

"Jimmy came home on Dec. 12, 1945. Good Lord took care of him and brought him home."

"We Interrupt This Program" is a play based, in large part, on material found in a series of Times-News interviews of Henderson County WWII veterans conducted and researched by Jennie Jones Giles.

Writing a play about these patriots provided me with an understanding of what is meant when we say, "the Greatest Generation."

Jennie and I created the play to honor what Jeff Miller (of Honor Air) calls "the humble hero." The play was performed Oct. 11-12, 2008, in the Historic Courthouse courtroom.

James W. Benison died on Jan. 2. He was 96 years old.

At the time of the interview, "Big Jimmy" was 91 years old and still driving a car. His wife, Java, was 87.

<p>On the day that I read of James W. Benison's death, I replayed the CD his wife, Java, had supplied the Heritage Museum five years earlier. </p><p>She shares her love for her husband and his service to his country during World War II. It couldn't be told better. </p><p>The fragments of memory paint a picture of the time. The obituary gives us the facts. His wife, Java, gives us the heart. </p><p>"Jimmy" Benison grew up in the Deep Gap area of Polk and Henderson counties. He was the son of Ezekial and Minnie Benison. </p><p>He was married for more than 71 years to Java Stepp Benison. They were parents to four sons and one daughter. </p><p>In 1939, Jimmy and Java graduated from Dana School. They married in February 1941. For a while, he worked at Chipman-LaCrosse Hosiery Mill. He served in the Navy during WWII in the Pacific Theater.</p><p>Java Benison, "Jevvie" as some family members call her, remembers: </p><p>"Everybody knew the war was going on. People became closer, praying it would get over — and it did. We have TV now and pictures. All we had then was radio.</p><p>"Big Jimmie" was in six major engagements in the Pacific. I can picture it as clearly as if it were happening now. His mother was in the dining room on Thanksgiving Day when she happened to hear on the radio that the USS Sumter had arrived on the coast of the state of Washington.</p><p>"You didn't really get a lot of news on the radio. When he was discharged in Washington state, he came home on a train. It was a long time before Jimmie Jr. knew who he was. It was not an easy time. </p><p>"He left on a train from East Flat Rock — and he came home on one. He just walked in one day. </p><p>"My friend and I would wait for the train in East Flat Rock for the mail. Sometimes you would get two or three letters at one time; then a whole month would go by with nothing. </p><p>"We would share our stories — 'Little Jimmie wants a bicycle for Christmas. I have a friend in Asheville who has a used one … says she'll give it to me. He has that little wagon that his Dada (grandfather) pulls him in … takes him to get his goat milk. What a sight they make — 'Go, Dada, go!' </p><p>"He loved his wagon and tricycle.</p><p>"Big Jimmy was gone three years. They were rough times — no cars and no job. Allotment money kept me going. There was rationing of what you bought and how much you could get.</p><p>"I lived with his mother and dad, road the bus to go grocery shopping (not much shopping, mostly looking), ordered from Sears Roebuck. I tried to grow some in the half acre of land in the back of the house. </p><p>"Not much time for shopping … did the washing on a scrub board. Dinner table talk was about the war. </p><p>"The government censored letters. My name happens to be Java. Jimmy communicated the invasions by mentioning, in his letters, the island — and I could follow. 'I'll be near you tomorrow … or in a few days,' he would write. I knew then he was in the islands.</p><p>"Jimmy came home on Dec. 12, 1945. Good Lord took care of him and brought him home."</p><p>"We Interrupt This Program" is a play based, in large part, on material found in a series of Times-News interviews of Henderson County WWII veterans conducted and researched by Jennie Jones Giles. </p><p>Writing a play about these patriots provided me with an understanding of what is meant when we say, "the Greatest Generation." </p><p>Jennie and I created the play to honor what Jeff Miller (of Honor Air) calls "the humble hero." The play was performed Oct. 11-12, 2008, in the Historic Courthouse courtroom. </p><p>James W. Benison died on Jan. 2. He was 96 years old.</p><p>At the time of the interview, "Big Jimmy" was 91 years old and still driving a car. His wife, Java, was 87. </p><p>"We Interrupt This Program" is radio's way of crying "Extra!"</p>